---

@Zeroth@Kazemitsu

Even when faced with impending death looming, it appeared Asura was just as dense as ever, "Consider these MY children." he responded, just as coldly. He had seen and fought men such as this before in his last life, and was unshaken by his foe's attempts to be intimidating. However, Jason could sense the dire rat approaching behind him; the vibrations of it's run, it's hurried breath, the sound of the the air rushing through it's fur. However, it seemed that company was due to arrive, as Ardur raced into the arena's area. Killing Asura wouldn't cause any trouble... But Ardur? Despite his arrogance he was still quite likable-- perhaps he could be forgiven. However, it was unlikely that the Buff Pixie would leave so long as Asura continued to fight-- and so, Jason telepathically commanded the lizards to hold their fire; ready to re-engage at any moment.

As the red slime shoved Jason into the enraged Rat, he had played right into the mage's hands once more; and used the force of Asura shove to hurl his mass into to the oncoming Rat's head, leading the strike with one of his stone growths, channeling about 1/2 the mana used by [Stone Shot I] into the strike. With the furry creature's running start, and leap into the air-- it was little more than a sitting duck in the air just begging for it's neck to be broken... And Jason intended to oblige the sorry creature.

Their laughter, cold and mocking, followed Digbie. He was nothing more than a child who had no idea what he was doing. He had tried it because it just seemed fun. His curiosity almost led him down the path to hell.

But he turned away. He turned away and took the next step towards adulthood. The next question would be, how could he remove this Taboo? And what would it require of him?

As Digbie plummeted back down towards his body, the world blurring all around him, the only things left of this experience for him to remember were the fear of the abyss and his decision to seek redemption.

As the others watched, Digbie was suddenly enveloped by a black, eldtritch aura. It actually looked quite similar to what Mourningstar had created when she tried to intimidate the goblins. It consumed Digbie almost like flames, and his green skin blackened as if he were burning just as Torrent almost had. But before they could reach him to try and smother the "flames," or pull him out, golden light erupted from within. Followed by crackling blue swirls, not lightning, but sparkles just the same.

When the light show faded, Digbie's eyes fluttered awake. The flower clutched in his hands had bloomed.

His body had grown. He was four feet tall, and while he couldn't be considered "bulky" or "brawny," his shoulders and chest had grown broader and his arms and legs more defined. His skin had turned from a grassy green to a much deeper, almost black [shade.] And upon his knees and elbows, stony spikes of dark grays and browns had sprouted. They weren't long enough to hinder the articulation of his joints, more like enlarged scales, but they appeared to be somewhat pointed and quite hard.

Swirling around his hands and up to the mid-length of his forearms, a blue and slightly reflective marking almost like Crispy's red tattoos had formed. The spiral continued across his palms and looped around the second joint of his fingers, making it appear as if he wore some kind of oddly disconnected gloves.

He had sprouted hair from the top of his head, and his incisor teeth had grown slightly larger and sharper. But, from his facial features and his voice when he spoke, it was clear that this was still Digbie, despite these dramatic changes. If he had made some other choice, would he have come back different?

TRANSFORMATION COMPLETE!
Goblin > (Immature) Mystic Stone-Hardened Demigoblin!
You have Transformed!
Your base stats have slightly increased!
You have not reached your full Potential. The skill Demon Affinity's development is reduced. You have turned away from this path. The skill's development is further reduced. Skill is currently at (0.25)
You have gained access to the Job System at 0th Tier!
---Job System---
Creatures with a certain level of intelligence, sophistication, and potential for civilization often learn that specialized functions for different members make the society better. Specific forms of training, and specific mindsets, mean that those who undertake a "Job" are better suited for certain things than others with different "Jobs." When you take on a Job Type, the World System will allocate earned Skill Points in a way more favorable to your choice. Using a skill you are familiar with as an example...[Stone Shot]. By throwing Stones, you gained points for this skill and also for the Throw Item skill. You intentionally attempted to use magic and thus Stone Shot developed faster than Throw Item. However, if you were in a magic based Job, the points that went to Throw Item would have automatically gone to Stone Shot instead, boosting its development. And vice versa if you were in a physical Job like some type of warrior. Jobs may cost you versatility, and make it harder to learn skills you already have that do not fit the Job's perogative. However, they will speed up development of the more fitting skills. Jobs are not permanent choices and may be changed, however doing so will require a training period for the new Job.

Available Jobs for Demigoblins:
0th Tier

• Raider - Physical focus. Offensive focus.
• Skirmisher - Balanced focus. Defensive and Support focus.
• Voodooist - Magic focus. Offensive focus.
• Bandit - Physical focus. Offensive and Defensive focus.
• Sneak - Physical focus. Evasive focus.
• Scrapper - Physical focus. Offensive and Evasive focus.
• Shaman - Magic focus. Offensive and Support focus.
• Gatherer - Balanced focus. Support focus.
• Scout - Physical focus. Evasive and Ranged focus.
• Healer - Magic focus. Support and Defensive focus.

You may unlock other Jobs by fulfilling certain conditions. You may gather further information about Jobs by focusing on one at a time before making your choice.
---Job Tutorial Complete!---

You gained the Variance, Stone-Hardened!
Your suitability for this Variance was very high! Effects have been boosted!
Your Base defensive stats have Slightly Increased!
Your Earth Affinity has been boosted!
You gained Earth Affinity I!
You have developed a bond with the earth. At this rank, MP/SP cost for all Earth-related skills is reduced. Earth-related skills will develop more quickly. Increase the rank of your affinity by deepening your understanding of the Earth element.
You have not reached your full Potential. The Skill Stone Shot only increases by (.25). Total is (1.6)

You gained the Variance, Mystic!
Your Max MP has increased!
You have not reached your full Potential. The skill Mana Affinity has been reduced to (0.5).
You have not reached your full Potential. The skill Mana Orb has been reduced to (0.25). Total is (0.25).

Skill Gain: Sacred Ground I!
By marking an area on the ground, you channel your Mana to boost the natural properties of the earth and create a safe zone for anyone who enters it. At this rank, HP will recover slowly for those you deem allies, and damage taken from enemies outside the zone will slightly decrease. This Spell consumes MP for as long as it is active. The larger the created zone, the more MP required.

Skill Gain: Rock Spire I!
A basic Earth-aligned spell that creates a sharp spike of stone by drawing loose or broken fragments of earth out of the ground. It deals more damage than most level one spells for the same MP cost, but requires that solid earth be within the user’s range of sight or perception. Solid earth can include soils and sands, but if the ground is too soft or solid it increases the MP cost of the spikes as new fragments of stone must be broken off or compressed. The spike is created beneath the targeted area, object, or creature. One drawback of this is that the flash of Mana produced as a side effect of driving the energy into the earth might alert the opponent. Does Piercing and Earth Magic damage.

---

He came to from the trip and looked at his new features and such. His blackened skin, his tough scales, his little tiny partial-mohawk, he took everything in. He even noticed how he somewhat looked like Crispy, but beefier and... somehow... more friendly.

He even looked at the flower in his hands. He managed to do something, something amazing, with his changes. He expected something less marvelous, something more similar to Rain, but clearly his efforts came with great rewards. He wasn't just your average goblin anymore, no. Digbie felt like the strongest goblin in the region. Incidentally, he probably was.

Alas, there was also the deal with the new Job System he had. More options to choose from, though this time it was much easier for him to choose. The three he was drawn to included Shaman, Skirmisher, and Healer, but after looking at the others in his party, he settled on Skirmisher. "Skirmisher as my 'Job', please.

With the flower in his hand, Digbie placed it on his head, right in his hair, and looked towards the rest of the party.

"Hey guys! I just came back from that weird trip of evolution!" Digbie excitedly said. "Oh man, I had a lot of choices. I started with 7 options, got a magical offerin' from investin' nine points into Taboo, turned away as I became this, and I still got offered somethin' from a Job System with like, ten different options!" Digbie looked around at everyone before outstretching his hands and using {Sacred Ground}, covering the area around him (appx 5 foot radius) with his skills.

"I became a Demigoblin, and I'm Earth-attuned and slightly Mana-attuned from my efforts before evolving!" He exclaimed happily. "I'm pretty sure I could go beat Crispy alone!"

---

---

Torrent was...complimenting her? Ash would be blushing slightly if her ugly lizard mug was capable of it.

"W-well, I will admittedly say that my knowledge of the sciences do not seem to translate well to this world." The Pygmy drake sighed, sitting next to Torrent as Digbie went through his evolution. "This world simply confuses me, if I am to be honest. Physics. Magic of all things. What I really want is a good place to sit and read a book on...well, everything about this world and a lab to experiment in."

No crystal though, unfortunate. Those things were made of pure mana, she wanted to see if she could somehow channel magic through it as an amplifier, or battery of sorts. If she could use it as an amplifier or conductor of some sort, it could greatly aid in learning magical affinities and abilities, she hoped.

"That said...trying this fire breath ability of yours should be done in an area with as little flammable things as possible, or nearby the stream so as to prevent any mishaps like earlier - but we can worry about that once we get ourselves a decent shelter sat up." She paused a moment glancing in the direction of Digbie's discarded bag. Hmm, well, perhaps he had one stuffed in there? Walking over, Ash stuck her nose in it. It was perhaps a bit rude to snoop, but she was curious if he had anything else she might be able to use.

Ah...he did!

Quickly, Ash grabbed it and pulled it from the satchel.

"Aha, he had one!~" Ash made a happy sounding laugh before walking back over, placing it on the ground in front of her. "Do you think he'll let me have it?" Ash questioned idly. She really hoped he did. If she could find a way to use it as a catalyst or some sort of refillable battery then it'd be a quite useful tool indeed. Not to mention perhaps she could find a way to grow them! She'd need some more information. Now that she was thinking about all the possible tests she could do she was growing more and more excited. Soon, Digbie was done with his evolving and had undergone quite the amazing transformation.

"Oh my...that is wonderful Digbie. You've done quite well, haven't you?" Ash mused lightly, immediately observing the goblin with her observational skills as well as using magic analysis on whatever spell he was just casting. "We'll be relying on you a lot, it seems. Now...I uhm, noticed you had this mana crystal in your things. You wouldn't mind if I have it would you? I would like to try something."

Blinking lightly, she raised her voice slightly and turned to move up stream.

"Oberon, Mourningstar! We should get moving and try to have ourselves something before sundown. A little more into the forest and a bit more upstream should be perfect for Torrent and Digbie to make us a good shelter for now."

Danny wasn't too sure if his idea worked but at the very least it was good practice for the skills used. He did pass Momma Slime but that could also be because the simple minded monster was focused on obstacles and where she was going. When he got closer to the Pixie he slowed down and checked his mana.

He was glad that there was a pixie cause whoever screamed probably needed healing and once he had helped Asura and Jason peacefully settle whatever argument they had the pixie could heal them too, hopefully providing enough chances for him to at least Magic analysis and maybe figure out how the Healing worked.

After all there was no way two reincarnators would actually be trying to kill each other, especially since the weakened winner would probably make easy prey for Goblins. He was so wrapped in his thoughts that he didn't notice the group of assimilated Fanged Lizards.

---

---

Monsters and innocents, is it? Asteria felt like sighing or opposing, but didn’t deem the effort worth what would certainly be a non-result; the water spirit was obviously prejudiced. “I see. I believe he has mentioned such an influence, and as far as I know, is actively resisting it. Nonetheless, seeing as our priorities are currently so differing, parting ways seems the better decision. I may or may not return. Take care.” Asteria left the lake-side, on the way to return to the cave’s entrance. She didn’t get far, however, as she soon came upon something that seemed like a trail, and warily sniffing at it revealed Asura’s scent. Asteria then sped towards wherever the red slime had gone, focusing on her sight so she’d see her goal sooner.

Moments of running later, she was met with another chaotic mess; Jason and Asura still fighting, Danny and Ardur flying above and observing, some zombies on Jason’s side mixed in the fight, and Mother Slime in the vicinity of Ardur, healthier than Asteria would have expected. “Ardur! You healed Mother Slime? That’s good. But if you’re here to help Asura, I’m rather certain he intends to kill Jason. Jason is similarly on a warpath. Say, if you really care so much for saving lives, how about we try to resolve this conflict non-lethally? And Danny, I imagine you have no desire to see former humans give in to our violent instincts given what had happened to us right after we arrived to this world,” she addressed them, referring to a conflict between Mei and Lorek from ways back that the wisp would surely remember.

She didn’t particularly care if the slimes heard – if they thought her suggestion reasonable, then all the better, and if not, they were too involved with themselves to properly care what the spectators might do. Whatever they did, they would have to act fast; the fight was still in full swing, and neither of the combatants cared for anything besides satisfying their destructive desires.

However, as she watched, there seemed to be a momentary lull in the fight, as Asura had just thrown the rat at Jason an was observing the situation while Jason was quickly disposing of the zombie dire-rat. Thus, Asteria went ahead with the first phase of the “plan” – distraction. “ASURA! Mother slime is now healthy and safe, do you really want to endanger her again?! AND JASON, the FUCK have you been thinking recently? Listen, I know it ain’t fair that people hate zombies, but do you really want to just kill all the haters? I thought you were better than this!” Actually, she hadn’t, but if it got him to listen, then all the better.

More skill progression and a new level of Magic Analysis, it seemed that Oberon’s efforts were bearing fruit but so far, his experimentation had yet to complete the ‘Light Ring’ spell. As far as form went he felt that the spell was complete, he’d allowed the ring to stretch as far as it seemed to want to before holding it in place, so why hadn’t the skill completed? Did he just need more experience, or had he tried to use the spell in the incorrect manner? Would skills only complete once they were put into practise appropriately?

The Sprite took a moment to gather more of the sun’s energy for another attempt, closing his eyes and focusing on the feeling of it on his skin. When he was mediating earlier he had tried to open himself up to allow the mana to flow into him more easily. His attempts to do the same for the sun’s rays seemed to be less effective yet he tried again anyway. Perhaps he was simply limited by how much he was exposed to.

Once he felt he had gathered enough power for a second attempt Oberon went through the same process again, forming a Mana Orb with light and watching as it began to glow and coruscate with a shimmering aura. This time he used Mana Shape to manually form it into a ring shape rather than letting it form naturally, hoping that by having a greater hand in the process he would gain more experience. When the ring was complete again, being about as wide across as it was before, he held it between his hands and used Magic Analysis on it again, wondering if perhaps now that the ‘Light Ring’ was fully formed he might be able to see more information about it.

He still didn’t know what kind of spell it was. If using the spell appropriately was what he needed to do to complete it then not knowing what it was for or how to use it was a bit of a problem. Given that it was created from the Mana Orb spell it was likely some kind of attack, probably a ranged one, but why was it a ring and not just another orb? Was it supposed to go around the enemy? Would it shrink and bind itself around them if it did? Or was it simply a projectile? If that was the case, then would he need to use it on another creature before it would activate?

Hesitantly, Oberon closed his hands around the ring, holding it like one would a steering wheel. If it was a projectile, then perhaps it was meant to strike with the outer edge. Letting go with one hand Oberon held the ring to his side and flung it like a frisbee and the next nearest tree, the ring spinning as it left his hand.

He felt like an idiot.

Regardless of if it worked or not Oberon decided it was time to head back. His short scouting trip and turned into a mini training session before he could stop himself. As he lowered himself down to the ground he could hear Ash calling out to him and Mourningstar. “Sorry, I got distracted. We definitely went north from the cave; the smoke trail from earlier is further south now. I didn’t see much aside from what might be a river to the north.”

Standing near Ash was… well from his face it looked like Digbie ,but clearly he had gone through a few changes since he had last seen him. As always when confronted with something new Oberon used Magic and Monster Analysis on the Demigoblin. “Well, you look different. How long was I gone for?”



@Rune_Alchemist@Gardevoiran@Zeroth

"Oh dear...how do we get down from here?" Ed mused to Asteria's mother, he didn't expect the elder rat to reply but it made him feel better none the less. The adult dire rat had apparently followed him out of the cave and up the tree when Ed finally mustered enough courage back to make a mad dash forward and out of the cave. This was similar to his dash earlier this morning when he had accidentally fallen into the pond, but rather than the pond; he had clambered up a tall tree and managed to get stuck there when he finally regained his wits from the grip of fear.

At the very least the outside was a refreshing view from the dark colors of the cave's interior. Verdant leaves and grass, the clear blue sky, and the trees were pleasing to the eyes. The feeling of fresh air was something Ed had not realized he had missed, but soon discovered when odd breezes chose to go his way and it felt GLORIOUS upon his fur. He only had a single complaint on being stuck up in that tree. It gave him full view of the ongoing duel between Crispy and a female goblin surrounded by the rest of the remnants of Rattleskull's horde. He felt like a rabbit that had just stumbled into a Fox den. As of now, they had yet to notice them but it seemed that they were too engrossed by their own affairs to notice the rodents perched atop a tree.

Yet again the young dire rat is forced into hiding because of circumstance. Such experiences made the boy question himself and his capabilities. This was the second time this day that he was rendered useless by the situation. Ed grimaces to himself. 'God that was pathetic. Not only did I freeze in fear, I abandoned my allies...damn that was outright disgraceful.' He lets out a sigh as he lies on his belly. '...maybe things would have been different if I was evolved like the rest?'

Desire for Evolution Recognized...

Options for Evolution:
- (Adult) Dire Rat
- (Immature) Giant Rat
- (Immature) Rat-Man
- (Immature) Mongrel

System is Now Choosing Most Suitable Transformation. Please Hold...
Selection Complete!
(Immature) Rat-Man Chosen.

Evolution Process Initiating in...3...2...1
Evolution Process Initiated.

'What the hel-' Ed was unable to complete the thought as the evolution process silenced his mind.

---

Torrent nodded distractedly to Ash's suggestion to wait before testing her new ability. It made sense, especially still being so close to an obviously hostile creature.

And then Digby underwent his transformation, causing Torrent to inspect him carefully. Walking around him, her tongue flitting in and out, as she inspected the strange markings and new form. He seemed much different than she'd expected him to. He was almost like Crispy, in a way, but different. And not just the colors. Something seemed different. Let alone the weird aura he'd exhibited.

She nodded once her inspections were complete, turning in the direction Ash had mentioned.

"I'll go ahead slightly so I can start digging," she said softly.

In attempting to push Jason, Asura hadn't moved quite far enough. One of the Lizards' spit struck him, but though he felt the burn no poison notice ever triggered--for now the damaging status effect hadn't triggered. The longer he stayed in this position, however, the worse it might soon get for him. Then again, Ardur had arrived...

Jason tried to use Asura's momentum to aid his own attack, and as he hurled his mass at the rodent it seemed the two would clash in mid-air. However, long ago the Demon King had told the group that Dire Rats, as Beast-type monsters, had superior physical abilities--with this agility, the rat twisted in the air, and Jason collided with it. He felt something crunch under his blow. He had certainly inflicted heavy damage. But he also felt a sharp pain in his side as the rat sank its fangs into him, gouging out the green gooey flesh.

When they landed the rat let go and gave a short-lived squeal as Jason's weight bore down upon it. What had cracked before now broke, and the Dire Rat was left lifeless. Jason's HP, however, had been whittled down that much more.

You are experiencing HP Drain. You must rest to recover stamina.

What was more, his telepathic order to the lizards did not succeed, giving him only a crackle of mental static. Despite his connection to the dungeon core, he had never touched these particular lizards and used his Telepathy on them. So he could not use Telepathy II to contact them at range in order to give them non-verbal orders.

The lizards spat two more poisonous blobs at Asura, once again trying to pincer him from both sides...

With Asteria, Ardur, Momma Slime, and Danny all present now, this situation wasn't looking good for Jason even if some of them would rather remain neutral. Momma Slime, upon seeing Jason, compressed herself with a low gurgle almost like a growl. A hint of red became visible within her membrane, and as Asteria begged for an end to the fighting the blue blob started to edge closer to the earthen mounds...

---

When Ed, overcome by either fear or a desire to finally be free of this wretched cave, headed for the entrance Mother Rat squeaked in distress. She looked back towards the direction where Asteria had gone, then towards Ed's rapidly moving figure. Turning a small circle, she then squatted down and left a rather strong scent for Asteria to follow. Then, shaking off her hindquarters, she struck out after Ed.

Ed, realizing the goblins weren't looking their way at all, bolted for the other end of the clearing. Mother Rat followed him, and as his momentum carried him partially up the side of a tree she soon did the same. At one point Ed's speed wasn't enough to overcome gravity, and after "running in place" vertically for a second or two he started to slide back down--only for Mother Rat to halt her own momentum by accidentally slamming into him from behind. The jolt back upward allowed his paws to get a hold of the bark. Mother Rat landed with a whuffling sound, shook her head back and forth, then once again followed the younger dire rodent. In this comical fashion the two rats made their way up the tree, nestling in a hollowed crook where one large branch extended from the main trunk, then split into two more branches.

When Ed suddenly passed out, he started to slip towards the side of the branch. With an uttered meep, Mother Rat grabbed him by the scruff of the neck with her jaws and hauled him back into the hollow space. Squriming around for a few moments, she finally sat on him decisively much as she once had her pups.

This pack...was rather strange. Why had one of her offspring not gone on to hunt alone? How had her offspring matured so quickly? It should have taken at least another few weeks. And why was this male so unaggressive towards them? She did not mind in the grand scheme of things. Packs were convenient when there were enough resources--numbers aided survival. And this male and her offspring were unusually courageous for rats, having protected and aided her in the past. This pack worked well.

Underneath her, Ed's skeleton gave a series of pops.

Ed could see EVERYTHING.

Not in crystal clarity, of course. But he drifted upwards, out of his body, rising high enough that he could look out across the forest. He could see the mountains stretching far into the distance both north and south, forming a wall between two lands. He could see the forest stretching on for miles to the east, broken by a series of square clearings where a large house of stone and wood and thatch, with various smaller buildings around it, sat calmly puffing smoke. To the south, a vast grassland stretched for what seemed like eternity, but it seemed that even looking that far cause the sun to grow brighter and hotter...

He could see the sunlight reflecting off of something, south of the forest but east of the plains, yet before her eyes could adjust she was rising higher. Now he saw a river further north, spilling out of the mountains and heading into the distance. He rose higher, drifting through clouds that stretched over the cave and further beyond, over curling smoke trails and unnaturally shaped structures of wood and stone that could only be civilization. Somewhere to the east, a large body of water sat glimmering with the bright morning rays of the sun.

He rose higher. To the south beyond the grassland, deserts and canyons, windstorms sweeping over the dunes. Further to the east, a bright light cutting a path to safety for those in need of guidance. Over the mountains, to the southwest, a grand city stretching for miles. Still in the west, but far further north, a tower like a mighty tree reaching up to the heavens with roots stretching deep, deep into the earth. So far to the east that it became west again, a lonely, cold, desolate island where red lightning split the sky. Further beyond that, marshlands and mountains and untamed, wild lands.

He rose higher. A world, a planet, rotated thousands of miles an hour, yet from this distance appeared as no more than a soap bubble, as if it would pop if he but brushed a fingertip against it. The city lured him, cried out for him. The island's red skies held him in sway.

Then he began to plummet, and somehow he felt as if a great pair of doors leading to unknown wonder were opening up to receive him...

Mother Rat looked down when she felt Ed shift underneath her belly. With a jerk his limbs suddenly shot out rigid. Again his body gave a series of cracks and pops. Every muscle drew tight. His tail lashed reflexively, and Mother Rat ducked her head to one side as the powerfully muscled limb thumped against the side of the tree. Beginning to worry, she used one paw to pat Ed's head, but he did not wake up. His body now curled up, as if he were on all fours, but his arms and legs were...twisting and creaking.

Mother Rat peered over the edge of the branches and through the foilage. The goblins were still not paying attention to them. Asteria had still not returned. She looked back at Ed, who now seemed to have grown larger. She reared up onto her hind legs, rubbing her cheeks and ears in worry. When Ed's mouth opened, not of his own volition, as his snout changed size and the orientation of his head on his neck snapped into a different configuration, she began to squeak in fast, high pitched tones. The only thing she knew to do with pups was to protect them, feed them, and keep them warm. Using her entire body weight--as Ed had now outgrown her just as Asteria had--she managed to push him back against the hollow again, and tried to perch on top of him.

Ed opened his eyes. He felt like he had been hit by a truck after running a 5k with heavy resistance bands tied around every one of his limbs--and there was still a weight up on his head, which kept squeaking into his ear.

TRANSFORMATION COMPLETE!
Dire Rat > (Immature) Rat-Man!
You have Transformed!
Your base power-stats have increased!
You have not reached your full Potential. Use Light Equipment skill is reduced.
You possess the skill Stronger! You are developing the skill Dextrous! The Use Light Equipment skill is boosted! Current total is (0.8).
You have not reached your full Potential. The Increase to Beast Sense is reduced to (0.5). New total is (2.4).

Skill Rank Up: Beast Sense I > Beast Sense II!
Passive sensory range increased. By actively focusing on one (1) sense, you can further increase that sense's sharpness.

Ed's new body had a hunched, but still bipedal figure. His feet were plantigrade, meaning he walked on the soles, but shorter calf and thigh muscles meant his legs were still somewhat bent. His arms, on the other hand, were lanky much like a chimpanzee's and while the muscles weren't large, they were long rooted--again like a chimpanzee, this would grant him much more raw strength than one would think from his size. His head was still rat like for the most part, but with more developed jaws, and its new position on his neck gave him a wider range of motion. His paws had lengthened and broadened into real hands, complete with opposable thumbs! His tail was still almost again the length of his body, but it had thickened up considerably near the base somewhat like that of a kangaroo. If he stood upright it would help him balance, not that there was room for that up in the tree.

As a matter of fact the tree was quite cramped.

((You should remove the lizard satchel from your inventory by the way, Jason took the last of the crystals out of it and it was so torn up it's probably fallen apart by now.))

Asura watched the brief scuffle between the Dire Rat and Jason. It got a good bite in before something cracked. Probably its neck considering the death speed. A tad disappointing but it did what he wanted, it took down his health at least a little bit. Some of the Fanged Lizards poison landed on him and it burned a bit. A slight shift and he scraped it off on the dirt as he avoided the next projectiles nimbly. It was like dodging snowballs thrown by kids back in the real world. Except snowballs didn't hurt unless the kid was a rock packing prick. Those ones got eaten by snowmen.

A feminine voice rang out, one of the Dire Rats from before was speaking. He could see Mother Slime looked well and Ardur was there. Still, Asura was not going to let this go and his aggressive posture did not change. "To keep her safe this shithead needs to die!" He hollered back as he darted in. His body seemed to split apart before four ten foot long tendrils took shape. They were thin and pointed, looking like a rapier while the base of his body remained mobile.

Each of those tendrils whipped about for a moment before coming at Jason quickly. It was like being attacked by four people at once and rapiers were not something people from 2018 fought against. The spikes thrust at Jason, going to puncture as deep as they could and occasionally one would whip across the surface of him to leave deep scratches. Certain rapiers held no edge, true, but that tip was always razor sharp.

Assuming a rapier plunged in it would change into a clawed hand. Grasping at whatever it could within the other slime. Was he hunting for items? Or a core of some sort? Or just to rip out some of Jason's inner goo to weaken him further? Only Asura and his madness knew right now. And for those paying attention, no Asura was not remaining stationary during all this, he was constantly dancing around Jason to prevent him from running away again. The movements were swift but no movement was wasted, no energy lost without doing something important.

Ardur The Pixie

Out of the frying pan > Into the fire /// Adventuring day 4 // Morning / Location - Cave

It didn’t take him long to find the two slimes. It would seem that Jason chose the old hatching grounds for this fight. I guess he thought he might have the upper hand at that point. Even the buff pixie knew it was dangerous to let your opponent choose the battle ground. The large dire rat from earlier approached him as he reached the edge of the fight.

Ardur hadn’t seen Danny approach until Asteria pointed him out. The large rat spoke for a moment about resolving things peacefully between the two slimes who seemed to be witling each other down to nothing. “Yeah I did what I could but it seems like it won’t matter much if these two just tear each other apart. I’m up for trying the peaceful way if you back me up.” The dire rat seemed set on going off first to try to distract maybe. Ardur had other plans for what he was to do in this fight.

The buff pixie looked to mother slime for a moment. Reading the body language of a ball of slime was difficult, but he knew what she was thinking. More than likely remembering what happened actually. Ardur reached out and touched her membrane to break her concentration for a moment. “Wait here.” It was simple and all he could think to say. Then with a smile, the pixie took off into the air toward the two slimes.

Once he was above them only a few feet away and definitely within striking distance of both slimes. Ardur did something that he’s only done a few times before. Put himself in harm’s way. “I am a spirit of fire; my flames cannot hurt me” he wasn’t entirely sure if this would have the effect he wanted, but he knew at the very least it was going to drain the rest of his mana. With that, he Yelled, “Immolation!” then the pixie dropped in between the two slimes.

He purposefully did this to while one of Asura’s strikes were headed toward Jason. Ardur just hopped the combination of the fireball I spell and shield I would cover his body. Mostly for intimidation but if it worked out otherwise he would still continue with what he was doing. “Listen human’s your acting like fucking children. I don’t care who started it or who hit who first, you will both lose in this war of attrition.” His gaze shifted between the two while he tried to keep himself between the slimes. “Asura, Mother slime will never be safe if you keep dragging her into conflicts like this, and what does it matter when this green fuck is stuck in the cave he is bonded too. We can leave, we can explore, we can learn so much more out there.”

These flames were beginning to get a little hot, but he pushed through his discomfort. “Jason what ever happened to being one of the demon king’s generals that you kept spouting off about huh? I bet you won’t be able to do that when this place has corrupted you to the point of you becoming one of these mindless monsters you keep so close to you. You got so caught up in the moment you went for the first piece of bait you found that put you in control of anything. You got an old beat up fucking Honda accord, when if you would just have been a little more patient and had a bit of self-control you could have gotten a Ferrari.”

He could feel that pit growing in his stomach again, the one that feels like low blood sugar. He was running out of mana again. “I’m done with both of you acting like you were never human, like you were never alive in the first place. You know who I was? My name was Travis Smith I was a paramedic. I left behind the love of my life to save someone I didn't know.” Pointing to the three dark spots on his chest. “I will do whatever it fucking takes to see her again, even if it means getting in between two fucking children!” Ardur was obviously being emotional at this point, similar to what he sounded like while he was raging earlier. “So why the hell are either of you even here? What is driving you to be better? I can guarantee you it’s not this” with that his mana finally emptied and the flames disappeared. “Now my mana is gone and I can’t heal either of you. So if you two still want to tear each other’s throats out, fine. But I’m done. Have a good fucking life because second chances don’t come easy.”

@Zeroth
@Kazemitsu
@Guy0fV4lor
@SilverPaw

Danny had no idea why Asteria was talking to the slimes like they were seriously trying to kill each other, surely it was just a simple misunderstanding. It wasn't until he saw Asura trying to rip Jason's "guts" out that he realized how wrong he was. He didn't know the whole story but of the two he knew Jason the best and he had learned that Amorphous Slimes were weak to water, so he was planning to scare Asura off with Aqua Sphere and then let Ardur heal them both.

Before he got the chance to put his plan into action Ardur did something unexpected and started chanting. “I am a spirit of fire; my flames cannot hurt me” Figuring it had to be Fireball spell he took the opportunity to try and analyse it.

When the pixie mentioned being out of mana after the flames died out Danny decided to speak up. "Oh and if you think that just defeating the other completely removes the danger guess again. Crispy and a female reincarnated Goblin are dueling and if he wins he will probably order his Goblins to wipe us all out and one or two heavily injured Slimes with no stamina or magic will make easy targets."

The very first feeling Ed felt after witnessing the 'vision' he had was a tidal wave of exhaustion and immense pain. Every limb, muscle, and even bone relentlessly roared in protest for the slightest of movements; even the simple act of drawing breath hurt him in a way. His eyes were unfocused and his vision blurred. He could barely distinguish objects a couple feet away from his face and his head felt heavy. He could barely even think straight. The ringing in Ed's ears practically drowned out the sounds from his surroundings...but he could hear something that looped over and over again. His glazed eyes scanned around for the origin of the sound but try as he must he couldn't locate the source. Though soon, the newly evolved Ed would regain his ability to hear and see again. But before anything else happened, a notification popped in his head.

TRANSFORMATION COMPLETE!
Dire Rat > (Immature) Rat-Man!
You have Transformed!
Your base power-stats have increased!
You have not reached your full Potential. Use Light Equipment skill is reduced.
You possess the skill Stronger! You are developing the skill Dexterous! The Use Light Equipment skill is boosted! Current total is (0.8).
You have not reached your full Potential. The Increase to Beast Sense is reduced to (0.5). New total is (2.4).

Skill Rank Up: Beast Sense I > Beast Sense II!
Passive sensory range increased. By actively focusing on one (1) sense, you can further increase that sense's sharpness.

'Huh...so that's how you evolve.' The system notification had made it apparent to Ed of the changes his body underwent after becoming an immature ratman. The feeling was so familiar but also so foreign and alien to the reincarnator. Though, all things considered, he had little to complain about. He evolved without issue, he finally had hands now and his form was bipedal in a sense, and he was still in the tree hidden from the goblins. He had to make the best of the situation. Though there was the issue of the incessant squeaking.

Wait. Squeaking?

Ed finally paid attention to the source of the squeaking. It was Mother Rat perched atop his head. It seemed that she was worried sick for the former dire rat. Ed had to reassure her that he was alright. No matter how painful it was to speak. "I'm fine...I'm fine. Please...calm down." His voice came out, barely above a whisper. Though he hoped that by speaking alone, he could wrest away the worry and panic the elder dire rat was experiencing. Though as of now, there was little he could do while his body was recovering from the evolution. Ed would just had to settle to meditate. Maybe that would hasten the passing of the pain his body was experiencing?

---

@Zeroth@Kazemitsu@ReusableSword@Duthguy@SilverPaw

The moment the Rat had died, Jason immediately surged over it, beginning to digest it for some quick stamina regeneration as Asteria joined the scene, reprimanding the two slimes for being at each other's throats. "To be honest, I'm not the one looking to continue this fight-- HE is. And while I'd love to explain a little more but I'm currently trying not to die." Jason respond in a calm, calculated tone. Countless years of war had trained his mind for situations such as this, panic would only get him killed. Then, as fate would have it, Asura effectively proved the slime mage's point, "To keep her safe this shithead needs to die!"

Scoffing at the psychotic bastard's remark, Jason watched his opponent closely-- beginning to read the red slime's movements. Although Asura was an amorphous blob that had properties that were not unlike that of a liquid, he was still essentially a living mass of muscle, that would need to flex, push, and pull, in order to move. Though neither combatant knew anything about the past life of their opponent-- one fact stood true; Jason was the far more experienced fighter. Unlike Asura, who had taken up boxing as a hobby, and practiced the craft in inconsequential barfights, Jason had lived his entire life in a literal warzone; fights that weren't some scuffle between drunken idiots, but battles against real, trained killers. Perhaps even more impressive, was that the former warlord hadn't just survived, he THRIVED in such an environment. Though Asura had assumed correctly that Jason had never had to deal with a rapier, the red menace had made a glaring mistake- he underestimated the slime mage's decades of combat expertise. Where less experienced fighters would believe this four pronged assault to be no different than fighting four people all at once, Jason knew otherwise. This was essentially a single foe with four arms; because regardless of what Asura did, he only had ONE mind to manage his appendages, and ONE center of mass.

As Asura's four 'rapiers' formed, the seasoned warrior paid careful attention the liquid-esque form of his foe, noting everything-- from stance, to movement, to the very way the ground vibrated as he began his assault (this is without using tremorsense btw). By the time the red slime had struck out, Jason had already made his read, and responded without pause. Angling his rocky outcroppings as he brought them forward to block the attacks, Jason tried to force the piercing attacks to glance off his form, similar to how bullets would bounce off the armor of a tank. However, for the slashes, Jason couldn't risk leaving himself open to the piercing attacks, since he knew Asura could put far more of his weight behind such strikes, and instead attempted to hop back from the slashes, rather than trying to block or parry them.

However, before the fight could go any further, Ardur; now wreathed in flames, threw himself between the slimes. "Hold your fire!" Jason commanded the lizards in order to prevent Ardur from getting caught in the crossfire. Though intently listening to the Pixie's speech, Jason highly doubted that Asura; ever the madman, would be willing to back down-- and thus he needed to make the most of the short intermission provided by the pixie. In anticipation of further violence, Jason sent a small telepathic message to Danny, giving him precise instructions before the slime mage relaxed himself, aiming to hopefully finish [Meditate I] during this small window. Focusing his mind as he popped half an herb, the slime mage fixated himself on the mana around him, trying to procure the precious resource from the air around him, as well as the ground beneath him.

Danny wasn't sure what to do Jason's message didn't seem to necessarily be bad but if he still wanted to kill Asura giving him mana crystals was just stupid. After a few seconds he spotted a small cluster of three crystals and missed Asura using rapiers in the process

Somewhat reluctantly he flew in their direction, careful not to touch them. After thinking it over he decided that his next action would depend on what the Slimes were doing. If they either listened to reason and stopped fighting or if it seemed that the red Slime would try to kill Jason he would tear them out of the ceiling and use Lesser Force to throw them at his friend. To make sure he didn't miss his cue he focused as much as he could on the two combatants. He was really hoping that things could be resolved peacefully, but he was also prepared to side with Jason if he had to.

Asteria shouted at the two battling slimes, trying her best to get them to listen for just a moment. If she could buy some time maybe Ardur and Danny would chip in...

As Asura avoided the Poison Spit, he split his body into four separate tendrils. As he hardened their tips and began to lash out, he could feel the strain on his body from pushing his Limited Shapeshift and Slime Whip skills further.

When Ardur attempted to calm Mother Slime, she gurgled something unintelligible. As the pixie took to the air she continued on her path, flopping up to the top of the earthen ridge.

Jason tried to digest the dead Dire Rat as Asteria was shouting, and by the time Asura split up and Ardur took flight he had only managed to eat a "hand"ful of the monster's flesh. With Asura's attack incoming he tried to read every movement of the other slime. But despite his experience in the past, he was no longer fighting humans. Trying to apply his knowledge of body movement to a slime--who did not truly have muscles that "pushed and pulled" or contracted, at least so far as was visible to one who hadn't studied them all that long--gave him little ability to predict any of the tendril's movements. The first tendril thrust out and stuck Jason's side with a painful squelch.

Without actually using Tremor Sense, Jason wasn't able to read any vibrations from Asura. Maybe if he were fighting something that had heavy footsteps or had some kind of ground-slamming attack this would have worked, but two relatively light slimes shaping their bodies to attack each other didn't create the kinds of "vibrations" through the dirt and stone that could be accurately read by normal senses.

The second tendril pierced Jason's gelatin hide.

By this point Jason had stopped reading and started reacting. The third strike glanced off his rocky scales with no harm done. But when he tried to hop backward, he found that enveloping the Dire Rat made him heavy--Slimes could consume their prey whole, but the digestion process took some time. If he intended to sit on top of the rat and steadily eat away at it, he would end up as a sitting duck. However, as Asura's slash from the fourth tendril struck him, it didn't really "cut" Jason so much as drag across him like someone trying to scratch with their fingernails--Asura's tendrils were too divided, and unlike a metal blade lacked a stiff "spine" and the weight necessary to render a real cut.

Ardur, bursting into flame as he finished his chant and cast two different spells upon himself, dropped down between the slimes. He was aiming to interrupt their attacks, but his chant and the build up of power he required cost him the majority of that opportunity. Still, before Asura could do anything else the now-flaming pixie landed on two of the tendrils suspended between him and Jason. Once again it seemed like the Fireball was trying to feed on Ardur's Shield for fuel, and though he could feel a rising heat all over his body the flames hadn't harmed him yet. They seared Asura's extended limbs, however, causing a pinkish mist to rise from the red goo as Asura would no doubt jerk them back on reflex.

However, one of the tendrils that had pierced Jason sprouted four malformed fingers and tried to grab at something inside the slime. As Jason settled down to attempt Meditation while Ardur lectured the two of them, Asura managed to grab onto to just one thing--and violently rip it out. One of Jason's Healing Herbs had been stolen!

The Fanged Lizards stopped shooting, but looked extremely uneasy...

Jason could feel the barest trickle of energy around him--but while he was groping for the Healing Herb inside himself and then consuming it while also observing what was going on around him in the midst of battle, he couldn't draw that energy into himself...

And while he was attempting to do all of these things at once, while Ardur was talking so much, while Asura was attacking so much--

Mother Slime had not been idle.

Having rolled into a tightly compressed ball, she used a pseudopod to push against the ground and launch herself down the slope. Spinning faster and faster she had barreled towards the slimes, and as she reached top speed it looked like she might crash into everyone in the general area--

But as she extended another pseudopod underneath her, a rubbery sproing could be heard, much like what she herself had witnessed during her earlier encounter with Jason. It wasn't a true "bounce" but it got her into the air--and with her speed she was able to launch over the "flatter" Asura (whose mass was naturally more spread out" and past the skinnier-framed Ardur, right over Jason.

Another pseudopod extended--and as her ball-form made one last rotation, it seemed like she was channeling all of that momentum into it. This limb seemed more like her entire body being forced in one direction, like a burlap sack full of bricks swung around one's head.

She didn't know much aside from what Asura had taught her, but she had tried to think about it. She tried to hit that Skeleblin but it kept dodging her. She hit the ground that one time. She tried to hit Jason before but he Bounced. She had tried to push really hard to roll this time. And she wasn't sure what all of this was bubbling up, but it felt like some of the memories Asura had showed her and she thought it might be called "mad."

That red glow from her center burst into crackling power, just like Asura had taught her.

"'MASH!"

Jason was literally flattened as the softer ground underneath him immediately gave way--it wasn't that solid stone had shattered to produce a crater, but the dirt here had been constantly upturned by digging creatures. Some of these tunnels partially collapsed, creating a small sinkhole as Momma Slime rolled on past, coming to a stop at the base of the slope on the other side of the "arena." If they ever had television in his little chunk of Africa, Jason might now know what the Looney Toons felt like after getting hit by a truck.

You have no MP remaining.

You have no Stamina remaining. You may experience HP Drain if you do not rest soon.

You used Monster Analysis II! This is a spell, not a Monster, but a Monster is using it. Effectiveness reduced to 45%.
---Ardur---
This is a Pixie you have come to know as Ardur. A tiny humanoid Fey-type Monster. While somewhat intelligent and quite territorial, they lack empathy towards one another even compared to beasts like Goblins. Pixies seem to understand some forms of speech or communication but negotiating with them is often a matter of bribery. Capable of flight and healing magic, but not physically strong or skilled enough to use fight or use weapons well. If pixies who happen to get along well are fought as a group, the battle can be quite difficult as they will consistently heal and buff each other with their spells. You know that Ardur is a fellow Reincarnator and thus does not behave as normal pixies. Ardur seems to be using his natural Shield Spell along with a Fireball spell to try and achieve something else, and is attempting to increase the power of the spells somehow.
---Analysis Complete!---

Skill Gain: Magic Analysis I!
You may now analyze Magical energies or objects to learn their most basic magic characteristics. Less effective on Materials and Monsters unless they are magical in nature.

You are experiencing HP Drain.
You are still Well-Fed but you need time to rest.
You are experiencing HP Drain.
A Healing Herb has been removed from inventory.
You recovered a small amount of HP.
You are experiencing HP Drain.
You still have no MP Remaining.

WARNING! YOUR HP IS LOW!

---

When Ed spoke, Mother Rat stopped squeaking. As he sat there just trying to overcome the soreness in his body--which, now that he could stop and breathe again, was beginning to fade--the Dire Rat scampered down from his shoulder to sit on the branch in front of him. She tilted her head this way and that as she looked at him, then sniffed at him with a "squeak?"

Finally she huffed, apparently satisfied that he was okay. She looked back towards the gaping cave mouth...Asteria still hadn't returned yet. Then she glanced towards the Goblins. It looked like that duel between the female and the red tattooed one was still going, but both of them had taken a few hits at this point...

Still, the rest of the greenskins watched, transfixed. If Ed perhaps wanted to get away from the cave entirely, this would be a good chance...but would Asteria be able to find them again if they left her behind?

---

You used Monster Analysis I! You used Magic Analysis I! Effectiveness boosted!
---Digbie---
This is a new monster to you! This is a former Goblin you know as Digbie. Digbie is now a Demiblin. Demiblins are Goblins that have been influenced by demonic energies, often committing acts that even make their brethren pause or else have been influenced by a greater demonic being. They are roughly the same size as normal goblins but tend towards the taller and more muscular side of the average. Their skin darkens until it becomes almost ink black, and they often develop strange magical sigils on their skin. They show increased aptitude for magic. Digbie is a fellow Reincarnator like you. There is something off about him, but oh well. Digbie has gained the Stone-Hardened variance, imbuing him with powers of the Earth element. He has also gained the Mystic variance, imbuing him with powers of pure Mana. Digbie has several magical skills, almost all of them associated with the Earth element, and much higher MP than usual for a Goblin--in fact, his MP is a fair deal greater than your own. He has just cast some form of healing and protecting Earth spell.
---Analysis Complete!---

---Job System---
You have selected Skirmisher as your Job class.

Skirmisher - Skirmishers are those among primitive creatures and tribes who are considered among the warriors, but aren't quite so foolish or aggressive. They know the best way to win a fight is to survive it, thus they focus on defending and supporting their allies in ways that will keep their side alive longer. Sometimes they even learn magic to help this. Skills with * are boosted by the Job's focus, skills with - are instead hindered.

Skill Suitability:
**Use Light Equipment (Skill cannot be boosted normally, progress towards Use Medium Equipment Increased)
Tremor Sense II
-Soil Manipulation II
Stone Shot I
Taboo I
*Stronger I
**Sacred Ground I
Rock Spire I
Earth Affinity I
<UNUSABLE>
Quake
Crafting
Fortify
*Point Strike
*Smash
Throw Item
Monster Analysis
Charisma
Guidance
*Mental Resistance
*Mana Strike
Focus
Stone Fist
*Stone Breaker
-Spell Chant
Intimidate
-Scribe
*Fire Resistance
Demon Affinity
Mana Affinity

Equipment Suitability:
Woodland Pickaxe
-Curved Rock
N/A Ratskin Pack
N/A Torrent's Burnt Skin

Job Suggestions:
One handed weapons and shields allow for a defensive fighting style
Healing magic improves survivability
Protective armor improves survivability

Skill Gain: Light Ring I!
A basic light element spell. It has the same MP cost as Mana Orb but has a shorter range; however, rather than moving in a straight line, this ring of light spins along an arcing path covering 180 degrees in front of the caster. It can hit multiple targets along this path, however after each successful hit its power decreases. It deals Light Magic Damage, which burns but cannot CAUSE a Burn effect.

You used Monster Analysis I! You used Magic Analysis IV! Effectiveness boosted!
---Digbie---
This is a new monster to you! This is a former Goblin you know as Digbie. Digbie is now a Demiblin. Demiblins are Goblins that have been influenced by demonic energies, often committing acts that even make their brethren pause or else have been influenced by a greater demonic being. They are roughly the same size as normal goblins but tend towards the taller and more muscular side of the average. Their skin darkens until it becomes almost ink black, and they often develop strange magical sigils on their skin. They show increased aptitude for magic. Digbie is a fellow Reincarnator like you. There is something off about him, but oh well. Digbie has gained the Stone-Hardened variance, imbuing him with powers of the Earth element. He has also gained the Mystic variance, imbuing him with powers of pure Mana. Because of his Earth Affinity, Digbie has a vulnerability to Wind, Ice, and Metal. Because of his Mana Affinity, Digbie has a vulnerability to Taint. Because of his Demon Affinity, Digbie has a vulnerability to Holy, but it is very low because his Demon Affinity has not yet activated. His Earth elemental spells are strong against Fire, Wind, and Wood.

Digbie has several magical skills, almost all of them associated with the Earth element, and much higher MP than usual for a Goblin--in fact, his MP is almost as high as yours. He has just cast some form of healing and protecting spell that requires a designated circular area. Digbie possesses the following spells:
Stone Shot - an offensive spell of the Earth element that requires throwable stones as ammunition.
Tremor Sense - a utility Earth spell that allows the user to feel vibrations in the earth and project them at higher ranks.
Soil Manipulation - a utility Earth spell that allows the user to manipulate loose earth telekinetically.
Sacred Ground - a supportive and defensive Earth spell that creates a safe zone, healing and protecting the self and allies.
Rock Spire - an offensive spell of the Earth element that creates a sharp spire of rock beneath a foe.
Earth Affinity - increases the ability to learn Earth skills, and at higher ranks increases their power while decreasing MP/SP costs, but also makes the user vulnerable to elemental weaknesses.

Digbie is developing, but has not activated, several spells:
Quake, Mana Strike, Focus, Stone Fist, Stone Breaker, Spell Chant, and Scribe
---Analysis Complete!---

Skill Rank Up: Monster Analysis I > Monster Analysis II!
Gain more biological information about monsters.

As the party searched further upstream for a likely place to make their shelter, they found the forest ground becoming steeper and rockier. They were still firmly within the trees, as those that managed to find purchase in the rougher ground had done so long ago, and were of an age when their trunks were broad enough a grown man could scarcely put his arms about them. Their branches were thick with green and stretched wide, creating a canopy that let only the barest golden glimmers of sunlight touch the ground. The Rubber Frogs they left behind began a croaky song once they were out of sight, but the old growling codger in its hole never gave them another notice.

They came to a place where the little creek tried its best imitation of a waterfall, over little rocks piled in its path. Their larger stone cousins were planted all 'round the left side of the stream, and further on the group could see that the slopes and rocks would soon increase and they would be leaving the forest and heading into the mountains. So as to stay within the cover of the brush they would stop here.

Upon each side of the creek two larger rocks looked as if they had rolled down the mountainside long ago, and now sat having built packed beds of earth at their bases with blankets of moss draped round their craggy shoulders. They were leaned so that their tops touched one another, and through the little doorway betwixt them the creek spilled on down towards that little waterfall and then further back.

The right side of the creek was not so rocky as the left, and though the slope was still steep this would be good given the group's plans to dig out a shelter. The slope would keep the water from rising too much but they would be within a stone's throw of fresh water so long as the creek didn't dry up.

As Oberon continued to practice with Light Ring, it turned out chucking it like a frisbee wasn't such an idiotic move after all. With a distinct hum the disc flew threw the air as if Oberon were some kind of warrior princess with a ridiculous battle cry, and made a mathematically perfect 180 degree arc in front of him. But just before he could catch the ring like a boomerang, it seemed to have fizzled out and disappeared before reaching him. The trees that it struck along its path, however, had a chunk of their bark burned and cracked away.

When he and Ash both scanned Digbie they gained quite the wealth of information about the Demiblin, but Digbie himself gained some interesting insights about the Job System once he had decided he wanted to be a skirmisher. As the strange words played out before him on the mental "screen," he also felt as if he could see a sort of vision in the background--that of a Demiblin wielding a crudely made wooden shield and a one handed club with bones tied to it by vines, standing above other Demiblins and shouting. Its shouts rallied their spirits and healed their wounds, then it jumped down and waded into the fray itself, using its shield to protect itself and its allies. It was almost kind of knight-like, especially with that too-big, bovine-esque skull dangling over its head like a helmet.

Torrent would come upon the stones, tiny waterfall, and gentle earthen slopes upstream of the creek earlier than the others would. She could see that it would be quite easy to start digging into the hill, but if she wanted to make a space of significant size she might need something to help reinforce the tunnels. After all, she didn't want a repeat of what had happened when her pond tunnel caved in.

Despite not being able to see Jason's exact condition it was clear to Danny that he was in bad shape, especially with the other slime joining in. While he still hoped for a peaceful resolution that seemed very unlikely. Using Lesser Force II he broke of the mana crystals one by one and after taking a bit to aim threw the first one at Jason. He also decided to let Asura know that something was up in some small hope that the idea of fighting a Mage slime with restored MP would scare him off. "Jason, catch!" After he threw the first crystal he did the same with the second and third crystals, this time not yelling a warning.

Danny wondered if there was anything else he could do he really didn't want to join but he also didn't want Jason to die. Getting the healing herbs form the cavern seemed like an obvious idea but if he left he might not make it back in time. Suddenly he got an idea that might work and wondered if he could check how much MP he had left, after all the bluf would fail if he fell down to the ground afterwards. "At least I got magic analysis, this should really help out in the future."

Asura snarled as Jason spoke. "You have nothing to explain, boy! Trading Mother Slime for a fucking automaton that's held together by fucking magic!" The red slime roared as he seemed to glow from the rage he had. A left over trait from his human days? He had been well known for his eyes seemingly glowing red when he was getting royally pissed off.

Jason stopped moving for whatever reason, digesting the rat? Trying to see how a ball of bile moved? Asura didn't know nor did he particularly care. His attacks had landed and the stone covered slime wasn't faring to well at this point. But he knew the cocky fuck had some more herbs in there, he hadn't just brought those crystals, and he had seen him lose some of the damage right at the start.

However Ardur landing as a flaming figure on his tendrils made him growl and pull them back briefly. As the small flaming pixie talked and Jason hollered a ceasefire, Asura began to move slowly. His tendrils snaked back until he was just a slime blob again, albeit a melty one with a new herb. "You act like a human is special. Humans aren't, they're animals and always will be no matter how many new brain functions they get." Asura growled out as he continued to circle. He could see the wisp up near the ceiling hovering near some of those damned mana crystals. Was that Jason's new plan? To get more mana to try and use his stupid magic again?

His stamina was dangerously low at this point so he had to pick what he did wisely while Ardur talked some more. "Better? I'm not trying to be better. That's what I fucking did while human. This world lets me be who I truly am, no laws or police around to enforce their moral code on me! He exclaimed angrily, his body nearly bubbling with how angry he was. Decades of anger and urges that had been repressed were coming out.

Of course while they talked Mother Slime did what Mother Slimes do. She came bouncing into the scene with a tremendous Mash before rolling a little ways away. This opportunity wouldn't come again and Asura snaked forward, surging around Ardur like a sea of blood. I have no desire to hurt you boy, but you're terribly naive. Whatever you said about corruption, that sticks and it sticks for a long time. He needs to be killed because he will never change. He thought to Ardur with that base slime telepathy.

Asura used what little stamina he had left, and Overworked to try and Smash the flattened Jason as hard as he literally could. He was holding onto that stolen herb until he felt it was necessary just in case Jason didn't die from this blow. He'd be losing hit points again due to that Stamina loss, almost guaranteed.

Ardur The Pixie

Into the fire > Sometimes your best isn't enough /// Adventuring day 4 // Morning / Location - Cave

At least he tried. It was all he could really think about as both slimes basically ignored him and used his temporary ceasefire as a way to take a small break and recalculate their foes. He didn’t truly believe he would get them to stop but that wasn’t the point. He wanted them to see him try. Not just the slimes but the others nearby as well. So that they knew even through his last outburst that he was at least willing to try and stop the fighting. As he saw it, he was taking all sides and none at all.

The next thing he knew when he looked back to Asura was a sudden shadow above him. Ducking down as someone yelled “MASH!” Ardur barley saw the large slime barrel over him and into Jason. Right after a surge of red tendrils flowed past him and towards Jason.

Obviously Asura would not slow down so instead the buff pixie simply whispered, “Go for the core, end the threat, I’ll keep you alive.” After that, the pixie dove out of the way of the slimes battle royale and tumbled to the side. With only momentary dizziness he stood back up and observed his surroundings.

The large rat was still hanging out at the rim of the battle and the wisp seemed to take it upon himself to extend the hostilities by giving Jason more mana crystals. Two Lizards where also hanging out on the edge of the small defilade definitely here by Jason’s call and were listening to him. But otherwise the area looked clear.

Ardur was very curious as to the position of the other monsters that ran off earlier. If it was a trap and the wisp was in on it he needed to get to higher ground to alert Asura. This would also allow him to find a few more mana crystals as well. With that thought in his head the pixie took flight straight towards the ceiling and the mana crystals that waited for him there. Paying just enough attention to the wisp as to not be surprise attacked but otherwise focused on getting mana.

@Zeroth
@Kazemitsu
@Guy0fV4lor
@SilverPaw